Island
SUMMER
Lori Hayes
Bling! Romance
An imprint of Iron Stream Media
Bling! is an imprint of LPCBooks a division of Iron Stream Media 100 Missionary Ridge, Birmingham, AL 35242 ShopLPC.com Copyright © 2021 by Lori Keizer All rights reserved. First printing 2021. Printed in the United States of America Cover design by Elaina Lee No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. Iron Stream Media serves its authors as they express their views, which may not express the views of the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination or are used for fictional purposes. Any mentioned brand names, places, and trademarks remain the property of their respective owners, bear no association with the author or the publisher, and are used for fictional purposes only. Library of Congress Control Number: 2021934915 ISBN-13: 978-1-64526-323-4 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-64526-324-1
Praise for Island summer Lori Hayes’ romantic novel Island Summer explores what it means to open up to love while letting go of the heartache and baggage of a narcissistic relationship. In her conversational style, internal fears and family drama unfold while readers are charmed with true romance, deepening friendships, and nursing home hijinks. Readers will be swept away with the beauty of the wild island ponies, and they’ll want to settle down in Big Cat too, and have coffee with the endearing characters who live there. ~Naomi Musch Author of The Love Coward and the Empire in Pine series From page one, Island Summer pulls you into the coastal atmosphere. You can smell the salt, feel the wind, hear the calming ocean. And not only that, the flowing writing style will carry you right alongside the characters as they face real-life issues and heartbreak. If you’re looking for a romantic beach read, look no further! Keith and Emily’s story will certainly touch your heart! ~Hannah Linder Selah Award Finalist and Regency Author Island Summer by Lori Hayes is a refreshing jaunt to a lovely seaside setting where you can almost smell the salty air and feel the ocean breeze. A grandma’s matchmaking skills launch this well-paced romance, providing an afternoon of relaxing reading with an added bonus of ponies! What more can you ask for? ~Victoria Duerstock Award-winning author, speaker, and publisher I highly recommend Island Summer that is intriguing from the beginning and delightful to the end. Lori Hayes blends an entertaining, meaningful story of adventure, and faith, and love ~Yvonne Lehman Author of Hearts that Survive: A Novel of the Titanic
DeDication This book is dedicated to my mother, Marilyn. She introduced me to writing and to the most beautiful beaches ever.
acknowleDgments
T
hank you to Sue Grimshaw for your tireless guidance with early edits on my manuscript. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and for that I owe you a lot. I appreciate your advice and tough but wonderful edits, and for challenging me to rise up to the occasion. I am forever grateful. Thank you, Del Duduit, for helping me take that big step into traditional publishing, and for encouraging me to be bold. I bet you won’t do that again. Smiley face. And special thanks to my editor, Jessica Nelson, at Iron Stream Media. Thank you for believing in me and taking a chance. You have taught me about refining my writing skills in ways I hadn’t imagined, along with adding wonderful suggestions to the story line. I appreciate you and your positive editing style, and I look forward to working together in the future. Thank you for everything. As always, I thank my mother, Marilyn, for always being willing to read and proofread my drafts before anyone else sees my stories. I love you beyond the moon and back.
Chapter One
T
his morning’s meeting with the Cannon Island National Seashore was crucial. It was step one in laying the incremental foundation for the survival of Keith Stallings’ ferry business. But for some reason he was calm, happy even. Despite the uncertainty of the contract, he hummed to the tune playing on his car stereo as he drove to the meeting. He appreciated the glorious sun, reflecting off the water and enhancing the blue-green hue. Boats motored along with passengers sprawled out on the bows, wearing swimsuits, basking in the sunshine. He chose a parking spot under a shady tree at the ranger station and strode inside. Meetings were his thing, and he was more than prepared to bid on the job. The park service planned to limit access to Pony Island in the future, and if he won the contract he would be the sole ferry provider to the most profitable island. Keith suspected there was some competition but had a feeling the park service preferred him. Although he knew better than to assume. But the biggest concern was if he could quickly acquire the larger boats needed for the job. When the receptionist guided him back to a large corner office, he found himself shaking hands with the head honcho, Tony Campen, who stood near his desk. He waved for Keith to have a seat and followed suit. “I understand you are the owner of Sea Horse Ferry?” “Yes, sir,” Keith said, spreading out documentation on the 1
Island Summer
desk between them. “I have an estimate on a new dock space that will hold more boats, am negotiating costs for two larger boats, and I’m working on acquiring financing from the bank.” Tony studied the material before him. “How fast can you be up and running?” And there was the sticking point. Keith wasn’t sure of an exact date until he knew the financing piece. “I will have an answer about the loan soon. Shouldn’t be a problem because I also have an inheritance to use.” It wasn’t enough money but definitely helped. “We are looking to move forward as soon as possible.” Tony leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I’ll be honest, I have one other person bidding on this project in addition to you.” Keith suspected as much. There was a new man in town, Tim Cooper, who owned a large catamaran which provided entertainment cruises. But he didn’t know the area or the islands as well as Keith did. They talked back and forth longer than Keith anticipated, mostly turning the meeting into a tense conversation about tedious requirements. He rubbed the back of his neck to relieve a developing headache, without much luck. By the time Keith left the building, he was exhausted and hungry. Fast food was a quick and easy option, not that a greasy hamburger sounded ideal. He could handle a fresh salad with grilled chicken, though. Due to the stress he’d been under the past year, what with his father’s deadly battle with cancer and his grandma’s health challenges, he had gained more than a few pounds. After seeing firsthand the debilitated patients in Gran’s rehab center, he made a commitment to adopt a healthier lifestyle. More exercise and eating better were on his radar. Poor Gran was probably the worst rehab patient ever. She was far too energetic and stubborn to hole up in some rehab center with a broken shoulder and sporting some nasty bruises 2
Lori Hayes
on her face. By pure determination alone, she would heal faster than average. To her liking, she would be out of there in no time. Keith was in no such hurry. She was safe right where she was. He drove past the exit to the rehab center while attempting to multitask by eating his salad, something he didn’t do well. When he said goodbye to Gran this morning she had practically begged for him to bring her back home. She was independent, but the rehab center was the safest place for her right now. He just needed to convince her. He pulled his truck into a tight spot across the street from the Sea Horse Ferry. The larger dock would require him to move his business to the opposite section of downtown, although relocating wasn’t a huge deal, but still something to consider. He made his way across the quiet road. Before long, Front Street would be crowded with shoppers and people strolling with no purpose other than to fill their souls with ambience and salty air. He wasn’t complaining but simply enjoying the quiet life until tourist season picked up. An attractive brunette caught his eye as she walked into his sister’s coffee shop. She had quite a head of wild curls bouncing around. Keith liked curly hair, not that he was looking or anything. But there was something different about her. She couldn’t be local because people who lived here were more relaxed instead of bouncy. But she wore scrubs as if she were heading into work. Maybe she was helping out temporarily at the local hospital, a doctor’s office, or the nursing home where Gran had been admitted for short-term rehab. The town of Big Cat seemed to always need medical assistance. Well, it didn’t matter. He had enough issues with the ferry, and since his last escapade with Vicki, dating was no longer his thing. He waved to Kathy as he passed by the ticket booth. She was an energetic college kid out of school for a semester. She waved back as she attended to patrons paying for a day on Pony Island while they still had access. 3
Island Summer
Keith headed across the dock. There was almost nothing better than the sound of his shoes slapping against the wooden boards as he made his way to the ferry boat. He loved his job, loved living at the coast. A squawk pierced the still day. A pelican Keith had named Sam, simply because he looked like a Sam, called out to him. The bird perched on his usual piling, awaiting a late breakfast. He watched closely as Keith stopped in front of him. “How are you today, buddy?” Sam stared at him. If a pelican could scrutinize, he was scrutinizing. How did he always know when something was on Keith’s mind? “Trust me, you don’t want to hear all my problems.” Squawk. “Okay, but remember … you asked.” He opened the cooler and pulled out a fish. Sam snapped his beak together in anticipation, and Keith tossed him the fish. It always amazed him how Sam swallowed it whole. The bird stretched his wings out wide and flapped them several times as if to urge Keith to spill his troubles. “Fine, but you’re one nosy pelican. You don’t need to worry yet, but if I don’t get the contract, my sales will plummet. If that happens, I’ll have to move to a big city to resume my career as an architect and leave the coast behind.” Sam didn’t squawk this time, but his beady eyes drilled into Keith’s. “No more fish for you, and no more peaceful sea life for me. There aren’t any architect jobs open here. Period.” Keith couldn’t take Sam’s piercing glare any longer. “Well, a man has to make a living, ya know.” Squawk. “I don’t know why I’m talking to a pelican.” Keith snapped the cooler closed to make it clear he’d had enough of the discussion. He wasn’t used to sharing his thoughts in general, much less with a bird. 4
Lori Hayes
The larger of the two ferry boats he owned pulled into the slip with ease. Captain Bill was an expert, a stellar employee, and one of his father’s lifelong friends. They exchanged a wave. When the passengers made their way off the dock, and before the next group approached, Captain Bill hopped back on the ferry. “What’s on your mind, son?” Surprised by his own transparency, Keith shrugged. “Just busy thinking, planning my strategy to win the ferry bid.” Captain Bill laughed, a deep rumble caused by years of smoking. He still smoked heavily but reasoned he might as well enjoy the remaining years of his life. You only live once, as he liked to say. He pointed to Sam. “You had a long conversation with our friend there.” He must have seen Keith chatting away with Sam when he pulled in. “So what? I like the bird.” Keith’s tone was defensive, even to his own ears. Captain Bill raised his eyebrows. “Hit a nerve, huh?” Before Keith fired back a witty answer, more passengers approached the boat. He helped an elderly couple step down onto the ferry, followed by a family of four. The man was probably their son, and the kids were likely grandkids. The terrain on the island was rough on seniors but Keith appreciated their interest in the island. A young couple boarded, a somewhat older couple next, and then a large group of friends. Keith wondered when the park service took over, and the boats were large enough to accommodate more passengers, would more people flock to the quiet island as predicted? Wonderful from a business standpoint but Keith hated to see tourists take over the rustic paradise. More people meant more trash, more disrespect to the horses and nature, more crowded beaches. After the last passenger boarded, Keith shot Captain Bill a wave as the older man pulled the boat out of the dock. Keith hopped onto the smaller craft he owned. He wiped off 5
Island Summer
the morning dew from the seats and prepared for passengers wanting to tour the other islands in the area. There were several dredging islands scattered among the channel, a few of them only appearing during low tide. One of his favorites, not even close in comparison to Pony Island, was named Sand Dollar Island, another called Shark’s Tooth Island. There was even Bear Island, because the shape of the island resembled a bear, as well as Goat Island, where someone had dropped off two goats some years ago and they still roamed the beaches. He usually serviced the Pony Island route, but since he’d gotten a late start this morning, and because Pony Island was the busiest, Captain Bill had taken the run. A loud squawk made Keith look up. Sam had flown to the nearest piling by the boat. “What do you want? You already ate.” Keith wished he had saved remnants from his salad to share with the bird as a treat. Sam made a noise again. “I didn’t bring you anything. No more French fries, either. I’m not eating those anymore.” The bird studied him. “Okay, you aren’t begging for food. Did you want to continue to harass me?” The bird squawked. “Don’t worry, I’m not planning to move anytime soon.” Squawk. At least Captain Bill wasn’t there to see him conversing with the bird. Keith gazed past Sam and out at the bluegreen water. There was a unique, distorted reflection across the surface from the puffy white clouds overhead with a hint of Carolina blue sky, the ambience a strong reminder of how much he loved working the channel. How could he ever return to a desk job? His cell phone rang. “Gran, what’s wrong?” “You need to get me out of this old folks’ home.” Keith dragged in a long breath, trying to find solace from the peaceful view but no such luck. “I thought you liked it 6
Lori Hayes
there? The therapy is outstanding,” he reminded her. “Do you know why they call therapy PT?” Keith glanced at Sam, who watched him closely from atop the piling, as if he understood the conversation. “Because it’s physical therapy?” “No. It’s physical torture. Occupational therapy, OT, stands for ‘other torture.’ Come get me.” Keith burst out in laughter. “Gran, you need to behave for them.” “Nonsense,” she said with determination in her voice. “I need to break out of here tonight. Come pick me up.” “I’ll do no such thing,” he said with patience in his voice. “It’s in your best interest to stay there and receive therapy.” “Everyone is against me,” Gran complained. A change of subject was crucial. “Let’s hope at your next ortho appointment your doctor gives you clearance to move your shoulder, so you can start exercises. The sooner that happens, the sooner you can return to your horses.” He knew Gran well enough to know she wanted to get home to her animals. Gran sighed loud enough Keith was sure Sam heard her. There was no way she was ready. He worked long hours at the ferry and his sister worked even longer hours at Coffee Break. How would they manage Gran if she returned home alone with her arm in a sling? Heck, they were barely dealing with things as they were. “Will you stop by my house and check on my horses? Bring the book sitting on my nightstand in the morning? I need something to do around here.” “Of course,” he said. Passengers started making their way down the dock toward the boat. Before he excused himself from the conversation, she said, “By the way, I met the sweetest girl. I can’t wait to introduce you when you come see me.” Silence. “Gran …” he warned. 7
Island Summer
“Oh, trust me. You’ll love her.” He was not interested in Gran’s matchmaking schemes. “I need to run. It’s time to take the ferry out.” It was the truth but he couldn’t wait to hang up the phone. By the time he returned to the rehab center tomorrow, he hoped she’d forget about fixing him up with the woman. Nice or not, no thanks.
8